Canada Reads 2011 Finalists

The Canada Reads 2011 five panelists and their selections were announced last week! Hurray!! The five books and their defenders are:

• The Best Laid Plans, by Terry Fallis Defended by: Ali Velshi
• The Birth House, by Ami McKay Defended by: Debbie Travis
• The Bone Cage, by Angie Abdou Defended by: Georges Laraque
• Essex County, by Jeff Lemire Defended by: Sara Quin
• Unless, by Carol Shields Defended by Lorne Cardinal

I've read Ami McKay's The Birth House, but I haven't read the others-looks like I have a new challenge! For those of you who don't don't know, Canada Reads is celebrating it's 10th anniversary and is a series of debates between the panelists defending their selection as the best Canadian book of the past decade. Canada Reads is hosted by Jian Ghomeshi and will air on CBC Radio One on February 7, 8, 9 2011. I plan on reading the books above and hope to listen to the debates! (Last year I was on vacation and missed the debates!!).

A blog that I follow (Pickle Me This) will be hosting Canada Reads Independently 2011 which features some more independent presses, it is as Kerry Clare puts it: "more about reading on my own terms". Clare will posting her selection of books and panelists on her website tomorrow-and I may read those as well! We'll see!!